Why It’s Taking Longer for Young Adults to “Grow Up”
If you feel like your twenties are shaping up differently than your parents’ or grandparents’, you’re not imagining things.
Today’s young adults are taking longer to hit traditional adult milestones, from moving out to getting married, and it has a lot to do with finances, culture, and shifting priorities.
The truth is, rising costs, student debt, and a tricky job market are making it harder to leap into independence the way earlier generations once did.
Young Adults Are Delaying Traditional Life Milestones
The Census Bureau reported that, in the 1970s, nearly half of people between 25 and 34 had checked off the classic boxes of moving out, getting married, and having kids.
Now, less than a quarter of young adults follow that same timeline. Instead, delayed adulthood has become the norm, where the most common markers are tied to economic security (having a steady job and living independently) rather than family.
Student loans, rising food costs, and inflation have only deepened the challenge. Add in a housing market where rents are sky-high and mortgages are out of reach for many, and it’s easy to see why so many people are living with their families longer than expected.
Gen Z: Delayed Adulthood and New Expectations
For Gen Z, the path to adulthood has been shaped by unique pressures. This is the generation that entered the workforce during a pandemic, navigated sudden spikes in living costs, and saw the unemployment rate climb during the most important years of early career building.
These experiences have led many Gen Zer's to focus on stability first, with milestones like marriage and parenthood being pushed further down the line.
Yet, it’s not all bleak. Reports also show that Gen Z is making new inroads into homeownership, even surpassing older generations at the same age in securing first-time mortgages. It’s a reminder that, while the dream looks different today, all is not lost.
Marriage, Kids, And The Shift In Priorities
The average age of a first marriage is now over 30 for men and close to 29 for women, quite the increase from fifty years ago.
Parenthood is following the same trend. The average age for families to have a first child is nearly 28, the highest ever recorded in U.S. history. These choices aren’t just about finances. They also reflect cultural shifts; people want more flexibility, more time to travel, and more time to establish their careers before starting families.
In many ways, the new markers of adulthood emphasize independence and choice over tradition. Whether it’s renting an apartment solo, switching careers, or pursuing advanced degrees, today’s milestones are less about a set checklist and more about creating a personal path.
Rethinking What Growing Up Means
The timeline for reaching adult milestones has stretched out a bit, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
While economic realities like the housing crisis and unemployment rate play a big role, cultural values are evolving, too. The next generation is redefining success in ways that better match the world they live in.
For many, adulthood is less about a deadline and more about personal choices. Whether it’s choosing to buy a house later, start a family in your thirties, or prioritize career and travel, the story of growing up is changing – and it’s being rewritten on Gen Z’s terms.